All the Bible verses in this edition of The Presidential Prayer Team
for Kids Update are from The New Living Translation of the Bible.
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  • Faithful prayers help pooch find lost Boy Scout Michael Auberry.
  • Faithful people are everywhere. Do you know any?
  • Don’t miss our fun new feature PPK TREASURE HUNT. Check it out today!
Things to pray for

President Bush had a great time with the members of the 2006 NCAA Division I Football Champion Florida Gators when they came to the White House earlier this week.  He joked around with the guys and spoke of the highlights of their season.  Photo courtesy of the White House. 

  1. President Bush is still working faithfully to help our efforts in Iraq to succeed. He is working with our military leaders and commanders on the ground in Iraq as well as the leaders of Iraq. He’s trying to get the best results from all the effort we’ve put into bringing freedom to the Iraqi people. So it is a very good time to pray for President Bush as he works to bring success in Iraq. Pray that all the efforts and sacrifices of so many Americans and coalition troops will help to free that nation completely from everything holding it back. Pray for wisdom and strength for the President and for all the members of his team seeking to bring freedom to Iraq.

  2. Did you know that there were some pretty significant problems waiting for President Bush when he returned to Washington? Many leaders are asking questions about the firing of several of our country’s U.S. Attorneys, so it is a very good time to pray for President Bush as he deals with concerns about Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the U.S. Attorneys who were fired, asking God to give both men great wisdom as they deal with the questions surrounding this issue.
  1. 2. Many people are still working to ensure the very best care for all the brave military men and women who have served America so faithfully over many generations. So it is a very good time to pray for Secretary of Veteran Affairs Jim Nicholson and all who work to ensure the very best care for returning troops and veterans. Pray for all the treatment facilities that treat our wounded warriors that they will be good, clean places with excellent care for our veterans.

  2. 3. Vice President Cheney went back to the hospital this week, just to be checked and be sure he has no problems with his veins. You may remember that a few weeks ago he had a problem with deep vein thrombosis, a condition where a person’s blood forms a clot in a particular area. Because blood can’t flow normally around the clot, there is pain. There’s also a danger that the clot could break up and part of it would go to a part of the body where it could do harm. So, it’s a really good time to pray for Vice President Cheney to enjoy continued good health and strength as he serves our country. While we’re at it, we can pray for good health for President and Mrs. Bush and Mrs. Cheney too. Pray for health and strength for all our country’s leaders, so they can serve faithfully and well!

  3. Pray for our troops.  While people keep debating the war here at home, deciding when they think the troops should come home and whether or not Congress should provide any more money for the effort, our troops are out there serving faithfully in harm’s way.  Kids are back home making do without a mom or dad, and other family members are feeling both pride and concern for their loved one!  So it’s a perfect time for kids to pray!  Pray for safety for the troops and their loved ones. Pray for success in their efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Pray that God will cover each one with His wings and keep them from every kind of harm! 

Leaders to pray for

Secretary of Defense—Robert Gates
Robert Gates became our nation’s 22nd Secretary of Defense on December 18, 2006.  Before stepping up to this key position, he was the President of Texas A&M University, the nation’s seventh largest university. He has also served as Interim Dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M.  In addition to that, Mr. Gates has 27 years of national security experience.  He  joined the CIA in 1966 and has served six Presidents of both political parties.

The Secretary of Defense is responsible for directing the actions of the Defense Department in every part of the world where American troops are involved.  He advises President Bush on all matters of defense and works with him and other members of the Defense Department to decide how our country will defend herself against outside threats.  He is responsible for creating our defense policy and for making sure that it is carried out.  The Department of Defense includes the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), Air Force, the Inspector General and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.   Secretary Gates is also a member of the cabinet and the National Security Council.

A native of Kansas, Secretary Gates holds the bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary, a master’s in history from Indiana University, and a doctorate in Russian and Soviet history from Georgetown University. Dr. Gates is married to Becky and the couple have two adult children.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development—Alphonso Jackson
Alphonso Jackson has been at the helm of the Department of Housing and Urban Development since March 31, 2004.  In that role, he and his team work hard to provide affordable housing for all Americans while promoting economic development in our nation’s cities.  HUD works hard to make our cities great places to live.  They work to provide housing for the homeless, to help neighborhoods with big problems to tackle and solve them and to help every American realize the dream of home ownership. 

Alphonso Jackson knows about the importance of good housing—he grew up in a family with 12 children!  His father worked very hard at three jobs.  He educated his children, and instilled the values that have helped Secretary Jackson as he leads HUD—among those the importance of giving back to the community

Secretary Jackson holds a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in education administration from Truman State University. He received his law degree from Washington University School of Law.  With his wife, Marcia, he has two grown daughters. 

Understand, therefore, that the LORD your God is indeed God.  He is the faithful God who keeps His covenant for a thousand generations and constantly loves those who love Him and obey His commands.
--Deuteronomy 7:9

‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord.  ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.’
--Jeremiah 29:11-12

The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness.
--1 Samuel 26:23 (NIV)

Michael’s church, Christ United Methodist in Greensboro, NC.  The people of Michael’s church family were faithful to pray for him and for everyone searching for him—including the dogs! 

Something fantastic happened this week—something that showed kids and adults across our country the incredible power of prayer. You probably heard about Boy Scout Michael Auberry who wandered away from his troop’s campsite last Saturday, March 17.  Feeling a bit homesick and sad that his best scouting buddies didn’t make the trip, he thought he’d find his way to the road and catch a ride home. 

Missing Boy Scout Michael Auberry was found on March 20 following an extensive, four-day search.  South Carolina Search and Rescue dog Gandalf,  picked up Michael’s scent and his handler, Misha Marshall, spotted the boy moments later.  Michael’s church family, Christ United Methodist Church, Greensboro, NC had been praying day and night for him to be found.  Several church members were on hand to share the joy when the announcement was made.  Photo courtesy of the Journal.

Unfortunately, Michael’s idea didn’t work out too well!  He couldn’t find his way to the road and got lost in the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.  When members of his troop couldn’t find him, they quickly called National Park Service officials who started searching right away.  Searchers worried as overnight temperatures dropped, and Michael’s mom and dad kept a positive attitude as they hoped and prayed. 

But there was another group that marshaled its efforts on Michael’s behalf.  Nobody saw too much of these hard working laborers, but their efforts were just as significant.  In fact they partnered together with the searchers and with God Himself.  Who were they?  Michael’s church family!  That’s right!  Michael and his mom and dad are members at Christ United Methodist Church in Greensboro, NC.  It’s a great church family that cares a lot about those in their care. 

As soon as they got the word about Michael’s disappearance, his church family began to pray.  When Michael didn’t turn up right away, they continued to pray.  When Sunday night rolled around, and Michael was still on the loose, 500 people came to a prayer meeting on his behalf!  What did they pray about?   Rev. Jan Brittain, Senior Pastor of Christ United Methodist, told a reporter how very much everyone was relying on prayer to make a meaningful difference in the situation, “We are praying just as hard for the rescuers, the dogs, everyone who has given aid to the family.”   Isn’t that great?  When people pray for the whole situation, it means they pray about everything!  Even dogs!  Michael’s pastor also told the reporter how important it was that they were all relying on each other and on the Lord. “There’s no real substitute for the community of faith in times of crisis,” she said. 

Well the good news is that those prayers were answered powerfully!  Michael was found on Tuesday, March 20 after four very lonely days out in the woods.  And who do you think found him?  A dog!  That’s right.  Gandalf, a beautiful Shiloh Shepherd was with his handler, Misha Marshall, out in the woods on that sunny Tuesday morning.  Gandalf had been given a piece of Michael’s clothing to sniff.  Once he had the scent, he was off!  Traipsing through the woods, he was on a lead, moving out ahead of Misha.  Suddenly there was something in the air that was very interesting to Gandalf.  He jerked his head three times, and Misha knew something was up.  She looked a little further up on the ridge and there was Michael!  He was found, he was alive!

Immediately other rescuers came to make sure Michael was okay.  He was tired, hungry, and thirsty.  In fact, he was pretty dehydrated and cold.  They got Michael to a hospital where he was able to start on the road to recovery.  

The next night, over 400 people gathered at Christ United Methodist to pray again.  Why did they need to pray?  Michael had been found. If we prayed so faithfully for Michael to be found, we must pray just as faithfully to thank God for answering those prayers!  So that’s what people did.  They came together to celebrate!  They told God how glad they were that He had answered their prayers.  They thanked Him for the rescuers, the dogs, and yes, for all the people who prayed!  It was a great time of joy and praise to God, and Michael’s mom said that she was amazed by the people who helped in so many ways—by praying, by looking for Michael, by bringing food for those who were searching.  They felt like they could stay there forever just thanking God for the people who came to their help. 

This was a great opportunity to see God at work.  It was a wonderful time to see His people pull together and ask Him for help!  And it was really great to see how wonderfully He answered those prayers. 

In this week’s Update, we want to talk about faithfulness. 
Faithfulness shows up in all kinds of places and in all kinds of ways. 

I will thank You, Lord, in front of all the people.  I will sing of Your praises among the nations.  For Your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.  Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
--Psalm 57:9-10

Did you ever think about the idea of God’s faithfulness reaching up to the heavens?   When King David wrote this psalm, his heart was overflowing with praise to God.  In trying to think of a way to express how awesome God’s love and faithfulness is, he thought of the sky!  The sky is pretty huge, after all.  It is as if David was looking for words as big as God to express how wonderful God is!  

Do you know what faithfulness is?  When you are faithful, you do what you say you will do.  You keep the commitments that you have made, whether it is a promise to always show up for soccer practice, or to practice your music lessons every week, or to make your bed before your mom has to ask you.   

We’re also talking about faithfulness this week so we can remember how wonderfully faithful our God is to us.  With all the talk going on about the war in Iraq, it’s easy to feel a little scared or worried.  “What if the war never comes to an end?”  or “What if someone I love is hurt in the war?” are questions you might ask.  It’s okay.  Lots of kids are feeling that way.  When you remember how very faithful our God is, it helps to not feel scared.   Yes, God is faithful and loving, and He is taking care of us.  You can count on it! 

If you are a kid who has decided to be faithful to God, you will try to honor Him with your words and your actions, and you will do the things He tells you to do in His Word.  We want to encourage you to be faithful in everything, and especially to be faithful in prayer, because your prayers really make a difference! 

All over America, kids are showing their faithfulness by praying for our President, our country, and our troops. 

This group of home schoolers in Massachusetts met to pray for the concerns of our nation.  They report, “We invited home schoolers to pray for our president and our nation.  We are PPT Kids members and appreciate the weekly Updates we receive to keep us informed of how we can best be praying for our nation.   

“The stories of our Founding Fathers and other notable men and women, who established and built upon and continue to build upon our nation's Christian foundation, provide beautiful illustrations of godly character.  The Bible verses that are highlighted each week continually encourage us by reminding us how powerful prayer is and of the importance of praying for our nation.  Thank you for being such a valuable resource of inspirational, motivational and historical information that is both timely and time honored.”

The Presidential Prayer Team for Kids says “Thank you” right back to this group of home school kids!  Way to go, and keep on praying!

Are you a part of a homeschool group that uses PPT Kids? If so, we’d like to put your picture on our website.  Write us a few lines about how you use PPK in your homeschool group and send us a photo!  We’ll share it with everyone!  Send these to editor@presidentialprayerteam.org. 

Kids aren’t the only ones who can be faithful--animals can too!  Have you ever known a pet that is faithful no matter what?  Certain breeds of dogs are known for their faithfulness--they don’t bug you or ask questions or make you do anything to receive their loyalty and love.  They are just faithful to you.  They love you no matter what.

Gandalf the Shiloh Shepherd dog is owned by Misha Marshall of Chesnee, SC.  Tuesday’s successful outing was the very first for the two-year old pup.  These photos show Gandalf with his handler and in action chasing down scents. Image courtesy of whns.com.

Gandalf & Misha -- Faithful Duo

This week we learned a bit about Gandalf, the Shiloh Shepherd who helped find Michael Auberry when he was lost in the rugged mountains of North Carolina.  Gandalf is still a very young dog, but his owner and handler, Misha Marshall has worked very hard to train Gandalf.  She has faithfully practiced with him, teaching new skills patiently until he gets them down, then introducing new ones, all the while giving lots of positive reinforcement.  Her faithfulness has really paid off, don’t you think?   

 Image courtesy of wbir.com.

Right now there are some animals who are showing their faithfulness by serving alongside our troops.  Yes, animals are helping out with the war in Iraq.  They are showing their faithfulness by obeying the commands they are given and by doing exactly the job they were trained for.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy.

K-Dog, the bottle-nose dolphin, is a good example.  He is one of about 100 dolphins and sea lions who are helping the Navy.  The animals are involved in the effort to make the waters around Iraq completely safe for the ships that will bring food and medicine from America to the Iraqi people. 

K-Dog wears a very small camera on his flipper, and he looks for explosives in the water.  When he finds them, he marks them and then gets away so that he will always be safe.  He does his job very faithfully, and is more reliable than any machine that could be designed to help with this important job.  The Navy really appreciates the faithful work of K-Dog and other marine mammals like him.

This military dog is standing guard with his U.S. Marine handler, in Ramadi, Iraq.  learning to follow every command given by his handler.   Photo courtesy of the vdhaonline.

Dogs are another great example of animals that show their faithfulness.  Hundreds of dogs are helping with our efforts in Iraq.  They are mostly used for security to keep out anyone who should not be coming into a certain area.  They can also sniff for bombs or drugs.  Dogs are very helpful to our troops because they can be relied upon to do exactly what they were trained to do--every single time!  Many of the military dog handlers develop a strong bond with their dogs, and when they are off-duty, they probably bring each other lots of fun and comfort.   

The young man in the center front of this photo is Dwight David Eisenhower.  He is pictured on a camping trip with his brothers and father.  Photo courtesy of the Eisenhower Library. 

President Dwight D. Eisenhower was our 34th President, and was in office from 1953-1961.  Eisenhower was pretty popular because he had been a well-known general during WWII.  He worked hard to help America and her allies to have victory, and people remembered his faithfulness, so they elected him just eight years after that conflict was over. 

Eisenhower grew up in a family with six brothers!  His family was close knit and strong in their faith.  Speaking about his Christian faith, Mr. Eisenhower said, “A deep, Bible-centered Christian faith has colored my life since childhood.” 

Dwight was very good at several sports, and along with his good grades, that helped him gain entrance to the United States Military Academy at West Point.  People who go to West Point for their college education graduate as officers in the Army, as Eisenhower did.  In their studies at West Point, they learn what their responsibilities will be when they graduate and become leaders in the Army.  They learn to be faithful to their responsibilities. 

Portrait of General Eisenhower courtesy of
the Department of Defense.

Dwight D. Eisenhower was very faithful to his responsibilities, but he was also very faithful to God.  In his memoirs, he reported, “I never opened a cabinet meeting or made a major policy decision without a minute of silent prayer.”  In fact, when he was sworn into office, before he gave his customary speech, he asked the hundreds gathered on the White House Front Lawn to join him in praying for himself and everyone who would now be leading America.  As you read what President Eisenhower said, see if you can pick up the many ways he is asking God to help him be faithful to his responsibilities. 

“My friends, before I begin the expression of those thoughts that I deem appropriate to this moment, would you permit me the privilege of uttering a little private prayer of my own.  And I ask that you bow your heads: 

Almighty God, as we stand here at this moment, my future associates in the Executive branch of government join me in beseeching that Thou will make full and complete our dedication to the service of the people in this throng, and their fellow citizens everywhere. 

Give us, we pray, the power to discern clearly right from wrong, and allow all our words and actions to be governed thereby, and by the laws of this land.  Especially we pray; that our concern shall be for all the people regardless of station, race or calling.  May cooperation be permitted and be the mutual aim of those who, under the concepts of our Constitution, hold to differing political faiths; so that all may work for the good of our beloved country and Thy glory.  Amen.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower is a great example of faithfulness for PPT Kids members, because he relied on God, he was a man of prayer, and he kept the commitments he had made. 

We’ve already talked a bit about how faithful our God is.  But for kids who pray, we can’t talk about it too much!  Because God is faithful.  He is consistent and loving and good.  Those are qualities of God that do not change.  In fact, in Malachi 3:6, it says, “I am LORD, and I do not change.”  Since our Bible promises that God does not ever change, we can be absolutely sure that He is faithful. 

God is faithful to us because He has promised to be faithful.  He is also faithful because He loves us so much!  How do we answer His love?

Think about how good it feels when you realize how much your mom or dad or other special person loves you.  It makes you just want to love them back, just as it says in Psalm 31:23:  “Love the LORD, all you faithful ones!  For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him.”

So the best way to respond to God’s faithfulness is to love Him right back.  You can do that by being faithful to Him and to everything He asks of you.  That’s right, you can be a faithful kid, by honoring God every day and by doing just what He has asked you to do--just like the dolphins and the dogs helping our troops right now, and just like President Eisenhower when he stopped the show at his inauguration to ask everyone to pray. 

PPT Kids should be faithful kids, because we have a faithful God! 

The PPT and PPK websites are rich fields of fantastic, fun facts and information!  Since we’ve been writing about the awesome heritage of America for over five years, we’ve got a lot of great info that you’ll be thrilled to learn. 

So we’re introducing a new feature, PPK Treasure Hunt.  It will make you explore around the many pages of the PPT and PPK sites.  It should help you grow in your knowledge of the great, godly heritage of our country.  And we hope you’ll learn some great stuff along the way!

Michael Auberry is a Boy Scout, just like many kids are, all around the world.  Someone pretty special spoke to the Boy Scouts at their Jamboree in August 2005. 
This week we learned a bit about faithful President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  PPT Honorary Committee member Alan Asbury loves to sing about prayer, and he admires President Eisenhower too.  He tells about something special President Eisenhower did in 1954.  While you’re there, listen to a fantastic song about prayer!

Now check out the BONUS QUIZ QUESTIONS and see if you found the treasure! 

Think about the faithful kids, the faithful animals, the faithful leader and our faithful God.  Then answer the following questions.

QUESTION 1

True or False  People who are faithful can pretty much do as they please, because they can decide for themselves what it means to be faithful.

True     False

QUESTION 2

True or False  One of the very best ways to help our country out while we are fighting against Iraq is to be faithful to our promise to pray.

True     False

QUESTION 3

True or False  Another way of saying that God is faithful is to say that He doesn’t change, He is consistent, He is always true, He is loving and He is good!

True     False

 

BONUS QUIZ QUESTIONS
See PPK TREASURE HUNT

BONUS QUESTION 4

When President Bush spoke to the Boy Scouts at their 2005 Jamboree, which of the following did he say to them?

  1. President Bush told the Scouts not to worry about having strong faith or morals, because many people have forgotten about those things today.
  2. President Bush told the kids that they can confront injustice if they keep a vision of good and truth.
  3. President Bush reminds the Scouts that their lives will be more meaningful if they serve something greater than themselves.

BONUS QUESTION 5

When he was a young boy going to school, what did singer Alan Asbury do every day?

  1. He said the Pledge of Allegiance every day.
  2. He sang a song about prayer every day.
  3. He saluted his favorite President, Dwight D. Eisenhower every day.

BONUS QUESTION 6

What very special words did President Eisenhower add to the Pledge of Allegiance? 

  1. “So help me, God.”
  2. “‘Til death do us part.”
  3. “Under God.”

BONUS QUESTION 7

In signing the bill that added “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance, President Eisenhower believed America was doing what?

  1. By adding “under God” to the Pledge, America was reaffirming the importance of faith for our nation.
  2. The words “under God” would serve to remind everyone about our godly heritage.
  3. Having the words “under God” in the Pledge showed that we need to have spiritual weapons to fight the evil that could try to bring America down.

We hope that this look at faithfulness has helped you grow in your ability to pray!  Because when you remember how faithful God is, it makes you just want to get closer to Him and talk with Him all the time!  We hope you’ve seen how important it is to be faithful in every part of your life—your church life, your prayer life, your friendships, everything!  So remember God’s faithfulness, and let it help you to be faithful as you pray for our President, our leaders and our country.  Your prayers are precious to our faithful God! 

Would you like to offer feedback on PPT for Kids? Write to your editor: Editor@presidentialprayerteam.org.

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